by Lee Thomas
First published 2014
Butch Cardinal watches a man die for a piece of jewelry that looks like scrap metal. The former wrestling champion turned mob enforcer was collecting a package when killers arrived. He grabs the parcel and runs, wounded but alive. Inside he finds a battered necklace with a metal pendant that seems worthless. But men died for this trinket, and more will follow. Cardinal flees Chicago for New Orleans, where he finds refuge with another disgraced wrestler. His search for answers unveils a hidden world of enchanted metals forged into charms and weapons. The pendant belongs to a secret order that wants it back. Cardinal faces the Chicago mob, a deranged assassin, corrupt police, and the mysterious organization hunting him. He stands alone against forces that will kill anyone who possesses their relic. The pendant may look like junk, but it holds unimaginable power that Cardinal must understand before his enemies destroy him.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Chicago, New Orleans
Period: Contemporary
318 pages · Paperback · Lethe Press
Content warnings: violence